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Scappoose girls' basketball in best run in two years

The Indians came out faster in the second half Tuesday, but Banks' Class 4A championship quest rolls on.

The state runners-up beat visiting Scappoose 52-26 for their eighth win in a row.

Junior guard Aspen Slifka and senior post Sydney Gregg's 24 and 10 respective points lifted the Braves (15-1 overall, 3-0 Cowapa League) to their 17th defeat of the Tribe (5-11, 1-2) in as many tries, a streak that carries a 49-24 average result in their favor.

Kaylee Wegner's 12 points led the Indians, who last beat Banks 47-30 Feb. 6, 2009, in the same gym.

Scappoose parried visiting Tillamook (3-13, 0-3), however, for the second time in a row and the third in the last five head-to-head, 37-35, Friday, Jan. 19, and reached its 2015-16 win total.

With seven games left, the Tribe has a shot at rivaling its 10 wins from its 2014-15 play-in round campaign and is scheduled to play at seventh-ranked Valley Catholic (12-5, 2-1) and all-state senior guard Noelle Mannen at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Beaverton.

The Valiants have taken all six meetings by an average of 56-24 since they jumped up from Class 3A in 2014-15, and score 49 points against 42 this winter to the Indians' 35 and 45.

"Keys for us will be to limit our turnovers and to get back in transition 'D'," Scappoose coach Joe Girres said. "Offensively, we need to knock down open shots and convert our lay-in opportunities. I'd like to see us play a complete game of out-hustling our opponent."